Sister Act: Scholarships Propel Sisters' Nursing Careers

School of Nursing scholarship recipients Rebecca and Amanda Padilla began their quests
to become nurses while growing up in Levelland.

“What inspired us to become nurses was seeing how a nurse could impact a patient and
family’s life when my grandmother was ill and at the end of her life,” Amanda Padilla
said. “I not only want to treat patients, but I also want to soothe and comfort them
and their families something I have learned to do here at the Texas Tech University
Health Sciences Center.”

The two young women are students in the School of Nursing’s Traditional BSN Program, and recently spoke at the school’s Donor Appreciation Luncheon.

The annual event honors donors who have supported student scholarships, research,
programs and faculty development for the School of Nursing. Scholarships in particular
enable the school to address the nursing shortage by giving students the opportunities
to pursue a nursing education.

Texas and the nation are facing a critical shortage of registered nurses. Texas schools
turned away 41 percent or 8,734 qualified applicants to nursing schools in 2009, according
to the Texas Department of State Health Services. To meet projected demands for RNs,
Texas licensure educational programs must generate 15,199 new graduates by 2013 and
25,870 by 2020.

Rebecca and Amanda Padilla said they are examples of how donors who invest in students
can help reduce the nursing shortage while making a positive difference in the lives
of others.

“Scholarship donations make it possible for us to attend this prestigious nursing
school,” Amanda Padilla said. “Donations also have also helped us realize how important
it is to give back to the community. We look forward to being able to give back to
the community once we begin our nursing careers.”

Rebecca Padilla’s career goal is to work as a labor and delivery nurse. She said it
is rewarding to help women during the most stressful moments of pregnancy. Amanda
Padilla strives to work in an emergency center before continuing her education and
becoming a flight nurse. She said she wants to help people in their most dire moments
of need.